Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Linux and Android - Google 2 factor authentication

As I have said I am giving up my 'phone' part of the cell phone and going pure data pipe. Who needs conventional calling? But I have Googs 2 factor auth to my cell number as an SMS text. Got to get rid of that. Thank goodness G has an 'authenticator app'.

But the problem is that I found it impossible to figure out. When you install it, it says to scan this barcode with your phone. Hey, it's on the screen of my phone! What the heck?

After many conceptual struggles, I turned off 2 factor on the main computer. Then I started it again. When I said I would use the app, it presented the qr code on my computer screen. Aha! You also need something like QRdroid installed to scan. Then you install the g auth app on your phone (or should I say tablet?) and it wants to scan the qr code on the main screen. Done! It rotates codes quickly so you better have a quick mind to pick it up. :)

Now the problem is what do I call my Nexus 5x? A cell tab? Porty tab? Mini tab?

ps. the concept of a phone number is finally dying. Really, we are going from ipv4 to ipv6 because the numbers have run out, and that's orders of magnitude above phone numbers. Toronto has 2-3 area codes already. How many will we get up to? Google is ditching sms and people are mad. Grow up! :)